The Department of Trade and Industry is encouraging local producers to enroll their products in the Import Surge Monitoring System to protect themselves from unwarranted import surges.
The ISM system was launched on May 31, 2023, in preparation for the country’s entry into the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement. It can detect a surge in the importation of a specific commodity that can be used as the basis for a trade remedy investigation.
Sharp increases in the importation of a product are crucial in initiating a possible case for a trade remedy.
The Bureau of Import Services of the DTI initiates the preliminary investigation on safeguard measures, anti-dumping, and countervailing cases from domestic industries.
According to the DTI, data from the ISM system can also assist in monitoring the volume of Philippine imports that can help in trade negotiations. Businesses can also use data generated by the system in mapping out their business strategies and plans.
The Tariff Commission had investigated complaints of dumping of wheat flour from Turkey and cement from Vietnam.
It also conducted anti-dumping investigations on electrolytic tinplates from South Korea, clear flat glass from China, float glass from China, Indonesia, and Malaysia, mosquito coils from Indonesia, polypropylene resins from South Korea, cold-rolled coils and sheets from Taiwan and Malaysia, hot-rolled steel coils and sheets from Russia, sodium tripolyphosphate from China, and steel billets from Russia.
In October 2022, the TC conducted a formal investigation on the petition for the extension of safeguard measures against the importation of ordinary Portland cement.
